The Fuel of the Future May Rely on Developing Oilier Soybeans

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The Fuel of the Future May Rely on Developing Oilier Soybeans

By Gerson Freitas Jr and Michael Hirtzer | Bloomberg Businessweek | November 7, 2023

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To reduce the carbon emissions from passenger jets and long-haul trucks, a vast volume of soy-based renewable fuel will be needed.  Researchers at startups and biotech giants alike are exploring ways to formulate a new kind of legume through selective breeding or genetic modification that generates more oil per bushel.

One of the startups, ZeaKal Inc., funded in part by seed giant Corteva Inc., plans to introduce its first batch of high-oil seeds for commercial planting in 2024. Scientists have tricked the plant into sustaining photosynthesis for longer with genetic modification, ultimately producing more oil as well as more protein. Oil makes up as much as 23% of the altered seeds, which is higher than the 20% average for conventional seeds. Future varieties might have even more.

For decades seed developers exploring genetic modifications have been primarily focused on boosting crop yields by making plants tolerant to potent weed killers, bugs or droughts. Manipulating the total oil content was never on the table in a meaningful way. But this June, for the first time ever, the amount of US soy oil used for biofuel production in a single month surpassed the amount used for food and other domestic uses.

Renewable diesel, a biofuel that’s chemically equivalent to petroleum-based fuel, is often touted as one of the best ways to cut emissions from the hard-to-electrify heavy transportation sector. Companies are racing to build more capacity to process soy, a critical component for expanding green fuel supplies. All four of the so-called ABCD group of major crop merchants—Archer-Daniels-Midland, Bunge, Cargill and Louis Dreyfus—have opened facilities, or announced plans to build or expand them in the next few years.

3 key takeaways from the article

1. This June, for the first time ever, the amount of US soy oil used for biofuel production in a single month surpassed the amount used for food and other domestic uses.
2. To reduce the carbon emissions from passenger jets and long-haul trucks, a vast volume of soy-based renewable fuel will be needed.  Researchers at startups and biotech giants alike are exploring ways to formulate a new kind of legume through selective breeding or genetic modification that generates more oil per bushel.
3. Renewable diesel, a biofuel that’s chemically equivalent to petroleum-based fuel, is often touted as one of the best ways to cut emissions from the hard-to-electrify heavy transportation sector. Companies are racing to build more capacity to process soy, a critical component for expanding green fuel supplies.

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Topics:  Energy, Environment, Bio-fuels